Brad Cox doesn't need this Kentucky Derby win — but it would help
Horse trainer Brad Cox is still seeking his first Kentucky Derby win on the track, but he's already accomplished too much to be defined by one race.
Brad Cox doesn’t need a(nother) Kentucky Derby win to prove he’s one of the best horse trainers in the game. That much, the Louisville native has already accomplished at the age of 46 . He’s positioned on the short list of next-generation trainers prepared to usher in a new era of horse racing as the longtime stalwarts like Bob Baffert and Bill Mott enter the twilight of their careers.
Cox, who has had 12 starters in the Kentucky Derby, again has multiple contenders this year. Both Florida Derby winner Commandment and Blue Grass Stakes winner Further Ado are situated among the top morning-line favorites, each with 6-1 odds following the post-position draw Saturday at Churchill Downs. He’s been there before in 2024 with Catching Freedom and Just a Touch as two of the top five morning-line favorites.
And he’ll probably do it again in the years to come. “I’m looking for the winner, not the favorite,” Cox said. “I’ve always said there are 19 Derby horses and there’s one Derby winner.
I’m looking for the winner. ” Maybe this year, the winner he’s looking for could even be his third entrant into the 20-horse field, Fulleffort , who finished fifth among American horses in the Kentucky Derby points standings . Cox isn’t waiting for greatness to happen.